With its 44,000 inhabitants, Alghero is the fifth largest city in Sardinia. It is home to an international airport and a favorite for the popular promenade along the harbor ramparts and the beautiful natural bay that flows into an emerald sea. The coastline is about 90 km long and is known as the Coral Riviera because the largest colony of coral of the most valuable quality, Corallium Rubrum, lives here. Red coral is more than a local resource for Alghero: it is an expression of the city’s culture and tradition, as reflected in its name. Linked to this extraordinary product are handicrafts, valuable commercial activities and the MACOR – Alghero Coral Museum, housed in a splendid Art Nouveau villa. A crossroads of cultures and a landing point for many populations over the centuries, in addition to the splendid beaches, crystal clear sea, the famous Neptune’s Cave and the unspoiled nature protected by the Porto Conte Regional Park, Alghero preserves an ancient history, protected by the imposing walls that still embrace the city today, despite their partial demolition. Numerous peoples and civilizations have taken turns in inhabiting this corner of land overlooking the Mediterranean. After the great Nuragic population, others such as the Phoenicians, Byzantines, Romans, Pisans and Genoese landed on these same shores in search of new trade routes, leaving important signs of their passage in the area’s numerous archaeological sites, such as the Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, the Nuragic Village of Sant’Imbenia, The Nuragic Complex of Palmavera and the Roman Villa of Sant’Imbenia, whose artifacts are now housed within the MŪSA Archaeological Museum of Alghero..
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